Scientific Computing and Data Intensive Applications

Development of Scientific Code and Algorithms

The major changes in the computing technology, that chips with thousands of simpler cores are being built, as well as the rapid advancement of technology in computer design, demand equally fast adaptation of codes and improved algorithms in order to harvest the computing power of current and future machines. CaSToRC aims at providing expertise in the development of scientific code and algorithms to support scientists in fields of relevance to CyI, Cyprus and the region such as climate change, computational physics, chemistry and biology, engineering and risk analysis. An equally important objective is to spawn research activities on more technical subjects, directly related to computer hardware and software design, creating connections between academia and industry for the promotion of these fields. The continuous monitoring of the latest technological developments that this research requires aims to equip the center with a competitive advantage facilitating the development of scalable, parallel applications tailored to the needs of the scientific user communities, as well as to better plan and allocate computational infrastructure, leading to more cost-effective solutions.

Management of large data sets

Another area of research is in the development of techniques for “data intensive” computing where the sheer volume of data is the major performance issue, such as in remote sensing and sensor networks, high-throughput chemistry and biology, or large collections of text and other artifacts. The goal is to develop data management tools and new algorithms for data processing that take advantage of the distributed infrastructure. A goal that is currently being implemented is the creation of climate and cultural heritage data repositories, notably through Vi-SEEM. Medical data repositories are also considered in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

New computer hardware and software design

For CaSToRC to assume regional leadership, it is imperative to be involved in research activities at the forefront of HPC. A milestone in HPC that both industry and academia are currently pursuing is how to increase the computer processing power by a factor of a thousand. A major objective of CaSToRC is to contribute to European efforts to reach this milestone, thereby bringing to Cyprus forefront computer know-how.